Striker plate



Patented July 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STRIKER PLATE Luther A.. Menges, Detroit, Mich.; assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Detroit, Mich.. aoorporation of Delaware Application october 2s, 193s, serial No. 695,561

ter for co-operating with the latch bolt of a vehicle door.

5 The main objects of the invention are to provide, resilient means in a striker plate for cushioning the action of the latch bolt with which it co-operates during latching operation; and to provide resilient means oi this character which has sound insulating properties for interrupting .the direct'transmission of sound vibrations to the structure on which the striker plate is mounted and deadening the noise resulting from engagement and disengagement of thelatch bolt and striker plate.

Other objects of the invention are toprovide a striker plate having a rubber backing adjacent the structure on which it is mounted and an exposed wear resisting element for engaging the zo latch bolt; to provide a rubber backing which is securable to said structure and which is integrally bonded, preferably by vulcanization, to a wear resisting element and to a fastening element; to provide a striker plate of this kind having more 25 than one latch bolt receiving notch; to provide an aperture 'in the wear resisting element through which a portion of the backing is exposed to permit the latch bolt to engage directly with the backing as the bolt is projected into the notch for 30, cushioningthe impact of the latch bolt; to provide a yieldable sound insulating backing which l.has a portion exposed adjacent each notch for receiving the impact of the latchbolt as the lat- .ter is projected hereinto; land to provide means 35 lof .this eharacterfor preventing metal-to-metal Y contact of the wear resisting element and the latch bolt as the latter snaps over .the ramps or shoulders of the striker plate and into the assoelated notches.

4 I yIllustrative embodiment of the invention is I the une '1vrv of Fig. 2.

, Fig. is a transverse sectional viewtaken on fthe une' V-v of Fig. 2. /r

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional viewsimilar to Fig. 3 but showing a modified form of the invention.

Ias viewed in Fig. 1.

t 5Claiml. (01292-340) 1n the form shown in ries. 1 to 5. inclusive. my improved striker plate includes a yieldabie body portion I I which preferably comprises sound insulating material such as relatively soft rubber. A fastening plate I2 preferably formed of brass, brass coated ferrous metal, or other suitable rigid material to which rubber readily bonds during vuicanization, is integrally bonded by vulcanization to the left side of the body portion II,

provided with spaced apertures I3 and I3' which register with apertures I4 and I4 formed in the body portion II foi' receiving screws I5 and Ii' respectively, or other `suitable fastening means The fastening plate I2 is l0 by which the striker plate is rigidly secured to a door post I6 or otherl structure similarly located,

'with respect to a door I1.

Formed in the opposite side of the body portion 4II of the striker plate is a pair of notches or depressions I8 and I9. Shoulders 20 and 2l are provided adjacent each notch I8 and I9 respectively, and ramps 22 and 23 are provided on `the right side of the striker plate adjacent the shoulders 2li and 2i respectively.

A wear resisting element 24 which conforms to the shape of the notched side of the body portion II is mounted on the latter and preferably integrally bonded thereto by vulcanization. This wear resisting element has an edge portion 24' adjacent the shoulders 2li beyond which a flange 25 of the body portion II extends. An aperture 28 is formed in that part of the wear resisting element which registers with the ramp 22 of the body portion II and with the aperture Il of the latter. The aperture 26 is substantially larger than the aperture I l' and it permits the insertion of the screw I5 through the aperture I3' of the fastening plate I2 from the right side of the striker plate. A protuberance 21 formed on the body portion I I extends through the aperture 2li.V That portion of the wear resisting element 24 which registers with the ramp 23 of the body portion is provided with an aperture 28 for accommodating the screw I5.

Myimproved striker plate may be used to. advantage in conjunction with 'substantially any conventional latch apparatus of the character shown in Fig. 1 which, for the purposej of villustration, includes a latch bolt 29 slidably mounted j 1n the door structure n. The nach bolt. :alsA

normally urged outwardly by a spring 3 0 vagainst the action of which it may be retracted by turning a handle 3i, ,iournaled in the door stru'ct'ure l I1, in a'clockwise direction. The door handle 3i has a stem 32 extending into the door vstructurn and provided onV its inner end with a cam 33 which bears against a shoulder 34 formed on the latch bolt 29.

I n operation, as the door I1 is moved toward its closed position, the rounded outer extremity of the latch bolt engages the wear plate 24 at the first ramp 23, and further closing movement of the door causes the latch bolt to be urged inwardly against the action of the spring 30 until the bolt passes over the shoulder 2 I. When the latch bolt reaches this position it is projected outwardly by the spring 30 and into the rst notch I9 of the striker plate. The protuberance 21 of the body portion II of the striker plate receives the impact of the latch bolt as it is projected into the notch I9, and prevents metalto-metal contact of the extremity of the latch bolt with the wear plate, and thereby eliminates the creation of objectionable noise during the first stages of the door closing operation. Further closing movement of the door causes the latch bolt to be retracted against the action of the spring 30 by the second ramp 22, and when the door has reached its fully closed position the latch bolt is then projected by the spring 30 into the second notch I8. During this movement of the latch bolt, the impact thereof is cushioned by the iiangev 25 of the body portion II which protrudes beyond the shoulder 20 and edge portion 24 of the wear plate adjacent thereto.

In the form shown in Fig. 6, my improved striker plate includes a rubber body portion II' having a metal attaching plate I2' rigidly bonded, preferably by vulcanization, to one of its sides and a metal Wear plate 24 similarly attached to its opposite side. The body portion II is of substantially the same shape as the body"portion II of the device shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, and the wear resisting plate 24' conforms with the contour of theside of the block on which it is mounted. The wear resisting plate 24 is provided with shoulders 20f and 2|'. An aperture 26 formed in the plate 24 adjacent the shoulder 2|' exposes the body portieri II and accommodates an outwardly extending projection 21 thereof.

The attaching plate I2' has struck out flanges 40 and 4I embedded in the rubber body portion. The flange 40 is located slightly in advance of andin registration with an outwardly extending flange 42 on the wear resisting plate 24. 'I'he flange 42 is also embedded in the rubber body portion and the age 4I is located in advance of and in registration with the shoulder 2 I. 'Ihe anges 4|), 4I and 42 assist in holding the metal Cushioning of the impact of the latch boltA as the latter projects into the first and second notches of the striker plate eliminates much of the objectionable noise accompanying the closing of the vehicle doors equipped with conventional striker plates, and the provision of a substantially thick layer of yieldable sound insulating material between the wear resisting element of the striker plate and the structure upon which the latter is mounted interrupts the transmission -of sound vibrations from the wear resisting element to the door post or other structure, which in modern vehicles mainly comprises metal and 5 acts as a sounding board. In this manner, amplication of the sound created by the metal-to metal contact of the latch bolt and the wear resisting element is avoided.

Although but several specific embodiments of the invention are herein shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is not intended to limit its scope other than. by the terms of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A striker comprising a` rubber element, a backing plate secured to one side of said rubber element and having a flange embedded therein, the opposite side of said rubber element having a depression and an adjacent shoulder, a wear plate mounted on said shoulder, said plate having a portion thereof embedded in said rubber element in overlapping relation with the flange of said backing plate.

2. A striker comprising an apertured rubber body portion having an irregular surface, a wear resisting plate conforming to said irregular surface and bonded thereto, said plate having an aperture therein registering with the aperture of said rubber portion, a backing plate secured to the opposite side of said rubber body portion and having an aperture aligning with the apertures of said rubber body portion and said wear resisting plate, and means for securing said striker to a support, said means having a head portion spaced from said wear resisting plate and engaging said rubber body portion and said backing plate.

3. A striker comprising apertured metallic plates, one of said plates having latch bolt abutments thereon, an apertured rubber element disposed between and secured to the adjacent sides of said plates and having a portion thereof protruding beyond said plates and beyond one of said latch bolt abutments for receiving the extremity of a latch bolt, and means extending through said apertures for securing the structure to a support and having a head portion disposed entirely within the apertures of the rubber element.

4. A striker comprising a rubber element having formed on one side thereof a shoulder, a wear resisting plate mounted on said shoulder, and a plate bonded to the opposite side of said rubber element and having a ilange embedded therein for assisting in holding said rubber element against displacement and deflection relative to said latter plate.

5. A strike for a latching element including an anchoring member, and a face plate adapted to be engaged by said latching element, a yieldable rubber body providing a union between said 65 member and said face plate and adheringly secured to both said member and face plate, said member and said plate including portions disposed in relative opposition with the body providing a yieldable cushioning eilect between said 70 member and face plate, and aligned openings in said member, face plate and,body to receive means for attaching the strike to a support.

LUTHER A. MENGES. 

